Volunteer honored for helping rescue 'countless' animals

Anne Landry, left, surprises volunteer Sherry Crowder with the Carl Carpenter Gold Heart Award. Crowder is a founding member of the Association for the Welfare of Animals and also volunteers with the Cleveland County Humane Society, Hope's Chest and several rescue groups.

By Jackie Bridges / Staff Writer

Published: Friday, July 18, 2014 at 03:29 PM.

Whether she's chasing a runaway Sheltie in uptown Shelby or crawling under a house to find a burned dog, Sherry Crowder will go out of her way to rescue an animal.

"They are precious," she said. "My mission is to help as many as I can, because that's what God wants me to do."

For her efforts in saving the lives of animals and placing them in loving, forever homes - which also makes life better for their owners - Crowder received the Carl Carpenter Gold Heart Award July 15.

The award is presented monthly by the Dick Palmer family to recognize individuals or organizations who make a difference in the community.

Julia Palmer and her daughter, Anne Landry, surprised Crowder with the award at Belwood School, while Crowder was volunteering at the Neuter for Life pick up. Neuter for Life is a new low-cost spay and neuter program sponsored by the Association for the Welfare of Animals (AWA) in Cleveland County.

'Help where I'm needed'

Crowder is a board member of the AWA and helped start the organization in 1999. The organization's focus from the beginning has been to encourage spaying and neutering. Crowder is also a member of the Cleveland County Humane Society and a volunteer for Dr. Deanna Mosely's Hope's Chest, a non-profit organization that helps homeless animals who are in need of veterinary care.

"Each group has a little different emphasis and I help where I'm needed," Crowder said. "We network with people and organizations to find pets forever homes."

She said her mother taught her to love animals, and she rescued her first animal when she was a student in college: a solid black kitten she named Spunky. Crowder and her roommate saved the kitten from the pound. When they graduated from college, Spunky came home with Crowder and stayed with her for 19-1/2 years.

Rescue efforts include all animals

Allison Still, also a founding member of AWA, said she has seen Crowder go to great lengths to save all kinds of animals.

"I once helped her rescue a goose that had been hit in the road," Still said in an email. "She's rescued countless dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. She's intervened in many situations where folks have animals that they either don't know how to care for, or don't have the means to care for them. She's transported many animals that are owned by others to the vet for needed treatment. She's transported many animals from one rescue group to another, or from a rescue group to the animal's new home."

When some of the animals need to stay a few days or a few weeks at Crowder's home, her husband, Stan, helps with the ones who dig or jump out of their kennels. He also goes with her, if needed, to pick up a rescue animal.

"Whenever there is something that is needed, he is Johnny on the spot to fix it," Crowder said. "He loves animals and he is more aware of the need and why I do it."

'She respects God's creation'

Not only does Crowder help cats and dogs, but she follows and supports the work of the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.

"She does all she can for animals both near and far, big and small," Still said.

And she is a human advocate, Still said.

"There are too many animals to count that have felt her kind hand and heard her kind words, but there are many people who have as well," she said. "She is a retired physical education teacher, and has done much to help many children and their families."

Crowder worked for Cleveland County Schools for 30 years - at Elizabeth Elementary School for 27 years and before that at Polkville, Casar and Central elementaries. Many times her volunteer work brings her in contact with former students. Two of them brought their dogs to the Neuter for Life Transport this month. She told the couple about the spay and neuter program when she went to pick up puppies at their house to take to South Carolina to a rescue group for adoption.

"Sherry Crowder is the best Christian I know ... without doubt ... without thinking!" Still said. "Now, if my grandmother was still living, it might be a tough race. Sherry does what God would have us do - she helps her fellow man, and she respects God's creation by doing what she can to help the animals."

Need help with spaying and neutering?

The next Neuter For Life (NFL) Draft Transport will be Sept. 8 leaving from Old Belwood School, located on Carpenter's Grove Church off of N.C. 18 North. Through Oct. 13, the price for all males, dogs or cats will be $20. Prices for females are cat spay - $45, dog spay - $60 for dogs up to 100 pounds. Call 704-477-5662 to register. NFL (Neuter For Life) Draft is a spay/neuter program offered by Association for the Welfare of Animals of Cleveland County in conjunction with Foothills Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic of Hickory.

About the Carl Carpenter Gold Heart Award

The award is named for the late Carl Carpenter, who searched 10 years for the owner of a photograph he found in a field after the Belwood tornado in 1989. The photo belonged to Dick and Julia Palmer, whose house and all the contents were destroyed in the storm. Carpenter's simple act of kindness to return the photo changed Julia Palmer’s outlook on life. Her family created the award to recognize people who impact lives by their good deeds. To nominate someone for the award, email Jackie Bridges at jbridges@shelbystar.com.

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Whether she's chasing a runaway Sheltie in uptown Shelby or crawling under a house to find a burned dog, Sherry Crowder will go out of her way to rescue an animal.

"They are precious," she said. "My mission is to help as many as I can, because that's what God wants me to do."

For her efforts in saving the lives of animals and placing them in loving, forever homes - which also makes life better for their owners - Crowder received the Carl Carpenter Gold Heart Award July 15.

The award is presented monthly by the Dick Palmer family to recognize individuals or organizations who make a difference in the community.

Julia Palmer and her daughter, Anne Landry, surprised Crowder with the award at Belwood School, while Crowder was volunteering at the Neuter for Life pick up. Neuter for Life is a new low-cost spay and neuter program sponsored by the Association for the Welfare of Animals (AWA) in Cleveland County.

'Help where I'm needed'

Crowder is a board member of the AWA and helped start the organization in 1999. The organization's focus from the beginning has been to encourage spaying and neutering. Crowder is also a member of the Cleveland County Humane Society and a volunteer for Dr. Deanna Mosely's Hope's Chest, a non-profit organization that helps homeless animals who are in need of veterinary care.

"Each group has a little different emphasis and I help where I'm needed," Crowder said. "We network with people and organizations to find pets forever homes."

She said her mother taught her to love animals, and she rescued her first animal when she was a student in college: a solid black kitten she named Spunky. Crowder and her roommate saved the kitten from the pound. When they graduated from college, Spunky came home with Crowder and stayed with her for 19-1/2 years.

Rescue efforts include all animals

Allison Still, also a founding member of AWA, said she has seen Crowder go to great lengths to save all kinds of animals.

"I once helped her rescue a goose that had been hit in the road," Still said in an email. "She's rescued countless dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. She's intervened in many situations where folks have animals that they either don't know how to care for, or don't have the means to care for them. She's transported many animals that are owned by others to the vet for needed treatment. She's transported many animals from one rescue group to another, or from a rescue group to the animal's new home."

When some of the animals need to stay a few days or a few weeks at Crowder's home, her husband, Stan, helps with the ones who dig or jump out of their kennels. He also goes with her, if needed, to pick up a rescue animal.

"Whenever there is something that is needed, he is Johnny on the spot to fix it," Crowder said. "He loves animals and he is more aware of the need and why I do it."

'She respects God's creation'

Not only does Crowder help cats and dogs, but she follows and supports the work of the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.

"She does all she can for animals both near and far, big and small," Still said.

And she is a human advocate, Still said.

"There are too many animals to count that have felt her kind hand and heard her kind words, but there are many people who have as well," she said. "She is a retired physical education teacher, and has done much to help many children and their families."

Crowder worked for Cleveland County Schools for 30 years - at Elizabeth Elementary School for 27 years and before that at Polkville, Casar and Central elementaries. Many times her volunteer work brings her in contact with former students. Two of them brought their dogs to the Neuter for Life Transport this month. She told the couple about the spay and neuter program when she went to pick up puppies at their house to take to South Carolina to a rescue group for adoption.

"Sherry Crowder is the best Christian I know ... without doubt ... without thinking!" Still said. "Now, if my grandmother was still living, it might be a tough race. Sherry does what God would have us do - she helps her fellow man, and she respects God's creation by doing what she can to help the animals."

Need help with spaying and neutering?

The next Neuter For Life (NFL) Draft Transport will be Sept. 8 leaving from Old Belwood School, located on Carpenter's Grove Church off of N.C. 18 North. Through Oct. 13, the price for all males, dogs or cats will be $20. Prices for females are cat spay - $45, dog spay - $60 for dogs up to 100 pounds. Call 704-477-5662 to register. NFL (Neuter For Life) Draft is a spay/neuter program offered by Association for the Welfare of Animals of Cleveland County in conjunction with Foothills Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic of Hickory.

About the Carl Carpenter Gold Heart Award

The award is named for the late Carl Carpenter, who searched 10 years for the owner of a photograph he found in a field after the Belwood tornado in 1989. The photo belonged to Dick and Julia Palmer, whose house and all the contents were destroyed in the storm. Carpenter's simple act of kindness to return the photo changed Julia Palmer’s outlook on life. Her family created the award to recognize people who impact lives by their good deeds. To nominate someone for the award, email Jackie Bridges at jbridges@shelbystar.com.